Falling Out of History
by DecemberWildfire
Summary: Usagi goes missing shortly after the Shitennou are revived, and it's up to Rei and Jadeite to find her. Will they succeed in this mission, even though she refuses to trust him? (Mars x Jadeite)
1. Revival

A/N: Faith-based story, as usual. Don't be shocked. Mars x Jadeite ship.

* * *

"Wh-what are they doing here?!"

"Calm down guys, it's okay."

"Are you serious?! They're our enemies! Why are they here, alive?"

Usagi and Mamoru calmly walked over to settle their friends down. Ami was pretty calm the whole time, though the others were really difficult to work with and were almost throwing fits.

"They can't be trusted! I don't care what you're about to say!" Rei screamed as Mamoru held her back from going and assaulting the four men, though he struggled to keep a grip on her. She definitely got stronger when she was mad.

"All right you guys, cut it out!" Artemis and Luna ran over to stop the scene. "You don't honestly think we'd allow them to be here right now if they were a threat, do you?"

They sighed in unison. "I guess not."

The four men stood there calmly and silently that whole time – men who were defeated years ago and who had almost killed them all on multiple occasions.

"Please just tell us what's going on!" Minako demanded.

Luna walked up and sat in front of them. "Look into the crescent on my forehead, and your questions will be answered."

The four girls kneeled down, a bit confused, and stared into the cat's crescent with amusement. It started to glow and sent out beaming lights. They were all taken on a blast to the past; a full lifetime of memories filling their heads in a matter of minutes.

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 _A beautiful kingdom on Earth._

 _A peaceful palace on the moon._

 _An elegant queen, a beautiful princess, a noble prince._

 _Four faithful guardians, four charming generals._

 _A life full of happiness and romance._

 _Serenity and Endymion._

 _Venus and Kunzite._

 _Mars and Jadeite._

 _Jupiter and Nephrite._

 _Mercury and Zoisite._

 _Deception and destruction by a red-haired witch._

 _Betrayal._

 _A kingdom in flames and ruins._

 _Ten star-crossed lovers fighting to the death for the masters and kingdoms they served._

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"We'll give you guys a minute," Mamoru said. Everyone stepped outside Usagi's house, leaving the four girls alone to process things.

They were completely silent for what felt like forever, holding back the tears and the nausea that filled them all. Their heads started hurting; it was a lot of information to pour out to them at once. Finally, Minako spoke up softly.

"What… happened to them?"

"They're traitors! That's what!" Rei stood up, angry tears filling her eyes.

"It can't be that simple," Ami cut in.

"She's right," Makoto added. "Beryl must've really deceived them for them to suddenly turn on us like that."

"I don't care what she did! They shouldn't have done it! If they can be deceived so easily, why trust them at all?" Rei walked over and looked out the window, down to where the Shitennou were standing in the distance. "They think they can just come waltzing back into our lives like this? Guess again!"

"How did they come back, anyway?" Makoto asked.

"I suppose we should go get them now?" Ami started for the door. "They can answer that."

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"I brought them back through their stones," Mamoru pulled out four large gems. Kunzite, Nephrite, Zoisite and Jadeite. "When they were defeated, they were sealed inside of these. With combined power, Usagi and I were able to bring them back."

"But why would you do that?" Makoto asked, partly mad and partly sorrowful.

"Because they're good people. And they've agreed to serve me again."

"Good people?!" Rei sneered. "Are you forgetting all they've done? How they betrayed YOUR kingdom? Any 'good' that was ever in them is long gone."

"You don't understand, Rei," Usagi cut in. "That wasn't their fault. It was Beryl. We brought them back because she's gone now and they're completely free from her grasp and her demons."

"Oh, what do _you_ know?" she retorted. "You were in the same boat as us when they were here before, and during the Silver Millennium you hardly knew them at all. What makes you think you can trust them now? You're so ignorant!"

"Rei, why do you always have to be so nasty?!"

Mamoru sensed one of their little bickering sessions beginning to fire up, so he jumped in. "Rei, she can trust them because _I_ said so. After all, I knew them better than anyone else during the Silver Millennium. And I say they deserve another chance."

He turned back to the four men who were standing there patiently and quietly. "Gentlemen, you can make your case."

Kunzite stepped forward, bowing respectfully. "No words or apologies can possibly suffice for what we did to you all, in both this life and in the last." He stood up straight and looked at them all with honest eyes. "But I hope and pray that one day, you will all be able to find it in yourselves to forgive us. That wasn't us back there. It was her evil inside of us. But that doesn't excuse the horrendous deeds that we did. We don't deserve a third chance, but it was graciously given to us by our prince." He turned back to Endymion for a moment. "We have vowed to serve and protect him with our lives, no matter what is at stake. We will not be deceived again."

The other three bowed in agreement.

"We will not forsake you this time," Nephrite said.

"You can hold us to that until our deathbeds," Zoisite added.

"And we hope you know that you all mean just as much to us now as you did during the Silver Millennium," Jadeite said, looking at Rei.

The pain in her heart was too much. She looked away and refused to look him in the eye the rest of the day.

"We waited until now to bring them back because we were constantly fighting new enemies before," Mamoru added. "But now that we are free from that and don't even sense a new enemy coming, we have the time and emotional strength to reconcile, which we wouldn't have had if we did this sooner."

"We know you all need time," Jadeite said. "And we completely respect that. Take as much time as you need."

"We appreciate that," Ami nodded. She was blowing the others away with how chill she was about this whole thing.

Usagi walked the Shitennou and Mamoru out. After they were gone, she returned to four sorrowful souls who had nothing to say to her. It was going to take time.

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When Rei returned to school the next day, the vibes felt different. Of course, she normally wasn't as happy-go-lucky and upbeat as a lot of her classmates generally were, but in her angry state, their happiness seemed to have multiplied, and it really irritated her.

 _How can people be happy in a world where others can deceive you, betray you, and rip your heart out?_

She sat alone during lunch under a tree. A guy approached her – a guy she couldn't stand.

"What's up, Rei? Why the long face?"

"Get lost, Yuki," she snarled.

"Hey I'm just trying to help. You look sad," he sat down next to her.

"Who gave you permission to sit?" she asked, looking disgusted.

"What's wrong? Tell me about it."

"Go away before I beat the daylights out of you!"

"Aww, well since you asked so nicely," he stood up. "How about after school? I could buy you a coffee and we could talk?"

"In your dreams, loser."

He let out a sigh and walked away. Rei turned and watched him return to his buddies, listening to them carefully.

"Ha! I told you she wouldn't go for it," one of the friends said loudly. "You lost the bet, so pay up!"

Rei angrily rolled her eyes and turned back around, leaning against the tree.

 _I hate men. They can't be trusted. None of them._

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On her way home, Rei took a detour. She stopped by the arcade to try and let some steam out. None of the other girls were there, which was unusual. She decided to play the racing game that Usagi and Minako seemed to love so much. However, that was also the game that caused them to rage the most.

Rei took a seat and started the game. Someone else took a seat next to her during the car selection. She turned to find Haruka there, giving her a friendly look.

"I can't remember the last time I saw you here," Haruka said with a smile.

"Yeah well… I just felt like trying something different today."

"Your friends love this game… although, I'll be honest with you, they're not very good at it."

This made Rei laugh a little. "That doesn't surprise me."

"Well, perhaps I'll be in for a good challenge today?" she winked at her.

They started up the game. Haruka was a pro. Rei was just trying to get used to the game, when suddenly she got a powerup and passed half of the CPUs.

"BOOYAH!" she yelled. "Take that, suckers!"

She launched an attack at the car in front of her. "See ya later, slowpoke!"

Haruka looked over to her, amused at how much more she was like Usagi and Minako than she realized, at least in this case.

Rei was gaining on Haruka, getting confident about winning the race. "Better watch out! I'll beat you at this on my first try!"

She moved closer and closer until they were neck-in-neck. That's when Haruka launched the powerup she was holding onto the whole game: a large land mine. Rei drove over it, not having any time to dodge, and her car flipped in the air multiple times and stalled for a while.

"WHAT?! NO!"

She slowly started moving again, but all the other cars were able to pass her before she got her speed up, leaving her in last place as the race ended.

"Are you kidding me?! That's some bullcrap right there! I was winning! This stupid game is rigged!"

Haruka laughed and turned to her. "You're not too angry with me, are you?"

Rei let out a heavy, angry sigh, and then turned to her and smiled; the visible anger suddenly gone.

"Nope! Just mad at the game. But that really helped me let off some steam, which is what I was going for. Thanks!"

"Any time. Maybe we can race again someday?"

"For sure! Well, I should get going now. Bye Haruka!"

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Heading home, Rei was in a trance. A million thoughts were running through her head about lots of different things, which was intentional since she was trying to keep her mind off certain people at that point. She wasn't paying attention to her surroundings and suddenly bumped into someone.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" the woman shouted out.

Rei turned her head, still walking. "Oh? Sorry…" and she bumped into another person while she had her head turned.

"Sorry! I'm a klutz today!"

She looked up to find familiar green eyes. Short blonde hair. A sweet smile.

"No worries, Rei."

Her bad mood came back instantly. "Oh. It's you."

"Are you doing all right? Is there anything I can help you with?" he picked up her briefcase and handed it to her.

"I'm fine, thank you very much," she said in a snarky tone, taking the briefcase back. "I don't need a man in order for me to live my life."

He sighed, though his face didn't change. "Look, I know you're not comfortable with us yet, and we understand that. But you really don't need to worry."

"Don't act like you know me! You may have known Mars back then, but you don't know _me_!" she started walking past him

Jadeite laughed quietly. He knew better. This was the exact same girl he fell for in the Silver Millennium.

"Oh really? Well in that case, surely Usagi won't tell me otherwise…"

She turned around. "What did you just say?!"

"Yeah, I'm sure she can tell me all about how much you long for me… how much I make you melt inside, and how you wouldn't ever admit it to anyone else. She and I should start hanging out. We'll be best friends in no time!"

"Over my dead body!" she screamed. "And she won't tell you anything like that because it couldn't be farther from the truth. You disgust me. I'd rather date Richard Simmons than you!"

"So if you're so sure, you won't mind me hanging out with Usagi, right?"

"You stay away from her!"

He was doing this on purpose. During the Silver Millennium, she hated it when he or any of the other Shitennou came near Serenity. It was her strong protective instinct that she didn't always recognize was in her.

Rei started to storm off, when Jadeite called out to her.

"Rei!"

"What?!"

He walked up to her again. "Hey, I'm just messing with you. You know that, right? We used to have fun with our bickering and banter back then…" he paused for a moment. "I'm sorry if I was too intrusive. I know you need time and space. Just know that I'm not that monster anymore. We've been purified. All of us."

Without another word, she walked away, not looking back.


	2. Cloud Temples

"It's 6:00 already. Where is that slacker?!"

Rei stood up from the table in frustration.

"I know she's normally late, but not showing up at all for a whole week is strange, even for her…" Ami said, looking up from her book.

"Doesn't she understand that this is high school?" Rei sneered. "Those lazy habits need to stop! I'm sick of her skipping out on study nights, and then whining to me later when she fails her exams."

"Maybe she wants to give us some time to ourselves to… process things…" Minako said quietly. She had been pretty quiet all day, which was rare. But the others understood why.

"Maybe you're right. I just hope she's okay," Makoto sighed.

"I haven't been able to bring myself to talk to him yet," Minako continued to speak with sorrow. "He's been so kind to me, but I'm just not ready. I feel horrible for avoiding him, but I just need time. You guys can agree with that, right?"

"Definitely. Nephrite's REALLY gonna have to work to gain _my_ trust back!"

"I don't know. I really believe they deserve another chance," said Ami. "After all, Beryl could have taken _any_ of us for her army. It just happened to be them."

"I say screw them all!" Rei sat back down and slammed a mug on the table. "Who needs them, anyway? If they want another chance at life and love, it can be with other people, not us!"

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It was getting late. The girls started packing up their things and got ready to head home. The Shitennou were all they could think about, which prevented them from studying worth anything.

Shortly before they headed out, Luna and Artemis came running in, out of breath.

"Artemis?" Minako picked up her cat. "Is everything okay, you guys?"

"Have you girls seen Usagi anywhere lately?" Luna panted.

"No, we haven't," Rei snarled. "She's been slacking all week. This is a new record for her."

"I don't think that's it, Rei." Artemis jumped down from Minako's arms. "She hasn't been anywhere. Not at school, not at home, not at the arcade… her parents have been worried sick. We've tried calling her and everything, and Mamoru has been running all around town looking for her, but no luck. We think she might've been captured."

"Captured?!" Makoto's eyes widened in shock. "By who? A new enemy?"

"We don't know. We don't have the slightest clue on this one."

"Well, how are we supposed to find her if we have no idea where to look?" Rei asked, still with that classic, annoyed tone of voice, though internally she was panicking.

Artemis slowly walked up to her and looked her seriously in the eye. "There is one way."

"One way to what?"

"One way to track her location and speak to her."

"Okay, so let's do it. What's the problem?"

The cat sighed. "The problem, Rei, is that you won't like this option. But you'll need to deal with it if you want to have any chance of finding your princess."

The two cats walked back outside for a moment, and returned in with a tall blonde man.

"What's he doing here?!" Rei yelled at the sight of Jadeite.

"This is what I was talking about! Now you need to calm yourself and listen, or else this won't work!" It was rare that Artemis got legitimately angry and yelled, but this was one of those times.

He jumped onto the table so that everyone could see him. "Jadeite here has informed us of this one way of finding her. There's a small sanctuary in the sky called Cloud Temples, and both the Senshi and Shitennou are capable of teleporting there. One of the temples up there contains an orb that has the power of transmission for communication between the other Senshi and Shitennou, as well as showing us where they're at, sort of like a video call. If we can obtain this orb, we'll be able to find Usagi."

"This sanctuary was close to my home kingdom during the Silver Millennium," Jadeite calmly added. "I would often teleport there and use that orb to reach the other kings when needed if we were too far apart. The sanctuary still exists today, but it has been taken over by new inhabitants and I no longer have any authority or recognition over there. However, I remember where the orb is located and know how we can navigate through the towers and get past the gatekeepers."

"Okay then, so what are we waiting for?" Minako asked in her determined voice. "Let's go and get that orb!"

"There's one problem though," Artemis continued. "The inhabitants there are extremely strict on who they allow in. The only people who they will accept into their sanctuary are Rei and Jadeite, since they are temple members."

Rei's eyes opened wide with shock as she glared over at the blonde man standing on the other side of the room.

Jadeite slowly started walking her direction. He held out a hand to her. "Rei, I am asking you to trust me on this. I know that you're not ready to have any kind of relationship with me right now, and that is fine, but we both need each other on this mission. Do it for Usagi."

She stared at his outstretched hand for a moment, and then turned away. "No. I'm not taking chances with you again. Ever."

"Come on, Rei!" Ami stepped in, raising her voice. "Don't be so selfish! We're all hurting right now with our memories from the past, but this isn't about us! It's about saving our leader! You're the only one out of us who can do something about it!"

"But isn't it a little fishy that she went missing right after you guys came back?" Makoto asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I assure you we had nothing to do with it. You have my word."

He turned back to Rei. "I can't do this on my own." He stepped closer. "I need an ally. And that ally needs to be you."

There was silence.

She let out the heaviest sigh that a person could. " _Fine_. But don't think that this makes us friends."

"I don't."

"Good."

"…All right," Artemis cut into the awkward silence. "How about you both meet outside here tomorrow morning at 6 and we'll send you over. We'd send you now but their temple's doors only open during the day. Come as Sailor Mars, Rei."

He jumped off the table and exited with Luna and Jadeite.

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It was 6 a.m. sharp. Mars was sitting on the temple's steps. Jadeite was behind her but she chose to ignore him until the cats got there.

They arrived with Mamoru, who was pale in the face and looked more exhausted than ever. She figured it was from running around so much, trying to track Usagi down.

"Mars," Mamoru spoke with a scratchy voice. Apparently the exhaustion had gone to his vocal cords as well. "Thank you for doing this. I know it's hard for you, but I really appreciate you taking the risk. When we find Usagi, we'll both really owe you one."

She stood up. "Hey, anything for an old friend, right?"

They moved to the center and Luna and Artemis got ready to send those two into the sky.

"Don't worry. You're going to be fine." Luna gave a friendly nod.

With a combination of Mars' and Jadeite's power, they vanished and moved up into the clouds.

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"State your names." A guard at the entrance stood at the door, wearing a tall purple feather on his head.

"I am Jadeite," he bowed respectfully. "I used to come here to pray and meditate many years ago."

"And who is your friend?"

"I'm Sailor Mars," she stepped forward.

"What is your business here?"

"Same thing as him."

"You are not welcome here if you are not a member of a temple. This is a sacred place."

"I'm with the Hikawa Shrine on Earth."

The guard pondered for a moment. "Hmmm… I'm not sure if I believe you. Why didn't you state that from the beginning?"

"Well, I-"

"And your uniform doesn't match the typical attire of members of Hikawa. Are you lying to me?"

"No!"

"She is indeed involved in that shrine," Jadeite cut in. "She's just modest about it. I've seen her there many times. Please, good sir, will you allow us the privilege of meditating in your temple? I assure you that we are both trustworthy temple members."

After a long pause, the guard tapped his staff against the ground and the doors opened. Jadeite thanked him graciously.

"I guess I should say thanks for that," Mars muttered under her breath.

"It was no problem at all."

"Why are they so strict here?"

"Well, a long time ago even before I discovered this place, it was invaded and run by a group of warlocks who practiced witchcraft and did evil deeds. They were later defeated and driven out, and peace was restored through their absence and by continuous prayer of the faithful inhabitants. That's why they're so careful with whom they let in now, and it's why _we_ need to be careful while we're here since we could get kicked out immediately if they discover our mission."

"You make us sound like criminals."

"We're doing this to rescue _your_ leader."

"I know, I know. Let's just focus on the mission. What do we do from here?"

"The plan is to go to the most hidden tower where the orb is. In order to do that, we'll need to get past the many locked doors. And the way to do that is to fool the gatekeeper. He's an idiot who calls himself Agent Zero, and we'll find him a little ways away from here. He'll lead us to the tower, but it will involve a lot of hiding behind trees, and walking QUIETLY. I cannot tell you how important it will be to keep your footsteps silent. We need to do that until we get into the secret tower. He'll either give it to us, or we'll attack him for it, which would need to be done quietly and without bloodshed. A simple strike to the head to knock him out for a bit should do the trick. After that, we need to find the three bell towers and ring all of the bells in order to open the portal back up to get back to Earth."

"Okay, and _why_ didn't you tell me this intricate plan _before_ we got here?"

"I would have, but you had your back turned all morning and didn't want to talk to me."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever, let's just do this."

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The temple towers were all connected by bridges. Looking down from the edges, one could not see anything but the periwinkle hue from the clouds, so being cautious around the edges was crucial. Mars was standing over one and looking down, marveling at the sight. Looking back up, the sun setting in the distance was captivating. For a moment she forgot about her troubles and just allowed herself to be amazed by the scenery and the altitude.

After some time, a strong gust of wind kicked up, knocking her off the edge.

She screamed bloody murder. "Ah! Jadeite, help!"

She was hanging on for dear life, but the edge was slippery and the wind was still blowing. Jadeite came running over and grabbed her hand.

"Hang on! You'll be okay! Just don't let go of my hand!"

He held onto the wall as he pulled, but it was hard with the slippery ground.

"Just a little more!"

He let go of the wall and used both hands to pull her up. He almost went down himself in doing so, but he succeeded and she was safe.

They were both sitting on the ground, panting for air. Mars was trembling, knowing she almost died just then. She definitely would have if it wasn't for him…

She looked over and watched him. "Thank you…" her voice returned to normal. "But are you crazy? You know you could've died just now for helping me?"

"I know, but it was worth it." He looked at her sweetly for a moment. "I wasn't about to let you fall down into a sky abyss."

 _He risked his life for her._

"Well, thanks," she gathered herself and stood up. "Shall we proceed?"

They went up a staircase that led to another floor on that tower, which connected to the next one and led to an outside area. They went outside the enclosed area to another exposed edge.

"Well, what now?" Mars asked. "There's no bridge to get down there to that platform of land. If you expect me to try and jump that far, you're gonna have to demonstrate first."

He ignored her sarcasm. "There's usually a whirlwind that carries people down there. Maybe if we look around we can find a switch."

They scavenged the area. Mars couldn't help but continually look over at him.

"So how much do you come here anyway, since you know this place so well?"

"Temple culture has always been very important to me. Before Beryl captured me again, I used to live in one like yours. This was also true of me during the Silver Millennium, as you can probably recall. Back then, I found the temples up here to be far more impressive and serene than the one I was with on Earth. So I spent quite a bit of time here whenever I could."

"What do you do in the temples?"

"It's a peaceful place to meditate and pray to God, without any distractions or background noise. I feel the most connected with Him in that setting. Coming here to Cloud Temples allowed me to not only do that, but also appreciate the wonders of His creation." He paused his search and looked up at the colorful sky, and then over at her. "And what about you?"

"Same thing, really. Whenever I'm sitting in front of the fire, I spend lots of time in listening prayer. Instead of closing my eyes and trying to see and hear things like most people do, I usually see images in the fire. Of course, I have to be careful in interpreting things and make sure they're not just in my head… but it's definitely a powerful practice."

"It's amazing how He can speak to us in so many different ways."

He gave her a smile for a moment and without noticing, she started to return one. The second that caught herself, she stopped and returned to her search for a switch.

"Here it is," Jadeite said, pushing some tree branches away from one of the walls and revealing a small red button. He pushed it and a sparkly blue whirlwind appeared by the edge of the platform of land.

"So…" Mars began. "We're supposed to just step into that and trust that it'll take us safely across?"

"Precisely."

"Um… how about you go first? You know what you're doing."

"You're afraid?"

"I am NOT!" she yelled. "I just want to make sure I do it properly!"

He took her hand, and she couldn't bring herself to pull away. "It's okay. We'll go together. Sound good?"

She sighed lightly, not taking her eyes off his hand. "If it means making it across alive, then fine."

He led her over to the sparkling whirlwind, and after a mental count to three, they both stepped in. It slowly spun them around as it carried them over. Jadeite could feel Mars shaking a bit, so he gently wrapped his arms around her. "It's okay. We're almost there."

She looked into his eyes without saying a word, heart beating faster. It seemed like all time stopped and the only thing happening in the world was that moment.

They landed and he released her.

"Do you feel all right?"

"I'm fine."

"Good. We're close to Agent Zero now. He should be right over there." He pointed west towards a short wall that was built like an open fort.

"Let's do it then."

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They walked over and entered through the wall's opening. There was a HUGE man standing in there, with a long orange ponytail and wearing blue suspenders. Someone his size would normally be intimidating based on size alone. However, when he turned around, Mars had to repress a laugh at how derpy his face was. His voice proved to be likewise.

"Good afternoon, Gatekeeper," Jadeite bowed. "Nice to see you again. What are you up to today?"

The man noticed the unfamiliar face and turned towards Mars. "I'm a secret agent. Call me Agent Zero. I'm getting ready to go to my secret hideout. But only members of my secret club are allowed to go there! I'm not leaving unless you both hide behind that tree so you can't see me."

Mars looked over at the short, thick tree that was wide enough to hide multiple people. Cloud Temples was full of those trees.

"As you wish, Agent Zero," Jadeite bowed again. He went over to hide behind the tree and Mars followed suit. They stayed there silently until they heard the footsteps of his departure. That's when Mars finally let out a quiet laugh.

"Did you hear his voice?!" she asked in a muffled tone.

"That's Agent Zero for you. But now's the tricky part," Jadeite whispered. "We need to follow him, and keep hiding behind these trees, making sure he doesn't catch us following, and also be sure that we get through all the doors before they close behind him. If he catches us, he'll alert the others and it'll be game over for us."

They poked their heads out from behind the tree and saw that he was still walking slowly. He evidently wasn't much of an athlete based on the snail's pace he was moving at.

Jadeite led the way with Mars following closely behind. They hid behind the closest tree, without making a sound. Agent Zero stopped and turned around to make sure no one was following, and then kept going.

"There's another whirlwind over there. Do you feel okay about them now?" Jadeite asked.

"For sure. I told you before that I just needed to see how they worked first."

"Very well then. Let's go."

It was hilarious watching that large man spin around through the whirlwind, but laughs were repressed and they all made it across. They had to run quickly to the next hiding spot since he was about to open the first door, but in doing so they couldn't be as quiet. The agent stopped and turned around again, but Jadeite got behind the tree just in time. Mars wasn't there, but he looked over and saw her standing behind the building, just waiting for his signal.

The agent completed his 360 and opened the doors. Those two ran in, with the doors slamming shut behind them, and followed him up the spiral staircase that led to the next door. They were standing right behind him since there were no trees in that spot. He stopped walking for a few seconds as if listening for noise. Mars' heart skipped a few beats. If he caught them there, they were toast. There was nowhere to hide.

After a few long moments, he proceeded to open the door without turning around. That was a relief.

Suddenly he started sprinting to the right near a tree on that side. Before Mars had a chance to react, Jadeite pulled her by the hand and ran over to a tree that was thankfully on the other side. They got behind it just in time before he turned around. Then he randomly ran over to their side to stand beside that tree. They had to quickly and quietly rotate around the tree until he moved again, staying as silent as humanly possible since he was right next to them.

Finally, after turning around a few times and scanning the area suspiciously, he moved towards the final door, slowly.

"All right, this is it," Jadeite whispered so quietly he was barely audible. "I'll really need your help for this part. Be prepared to attack quietly if needed; I'll hold him down and you can knock him out. But hold back until we see what he does first."

They walked quickly to catch up with him, but got a little too close, as he stopped again and looked around. Thankfully he didn't turn around, but they were inches away from him at that sudden stop and had to hold their breath. After many moments, he _finally_ opened the door.

The room was definitely not up to its hype; just a simple platform enclosed by walls without a roof, with a few potted plants here and there. _Some secret hideout_.

Agent Zero turned around and gasped when he saw them.

"What? You managed to get here without following me? You guys must be members of this secret club after all!"

They were both caught off guard but went along with it.

"Indeed we are," Jadeite bowed. "Of course we couldn't tell you before, because it's a secret, right?"

"Exactly! Here," Agent Zero opened some sort of secret compartment in the wall. "Take this secret decoder. It will allow us to send secret messages."

He handed them a shiny green orb with gold rings around it. Jadeite graciously took it and placed it safely inside his coat.

"Much obliged, Gatekeeper," he said. "If you'll now excuse us, we have some meditating to do in the temples."

"Come back any time."

"Thanks," Mars called back as they exited, still trying to refrain from laughing at his derpy voice.

 _Well that part was certainly easier than expected._

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"Okay, we've got the orb. Should we call Usagi?"

"We should get back first so that the others can be there."

"So how do we get out of here?"

"We need to ring the three bells," he replied. "If you go up that staircase, you should find two of the bell towers." He pointed inside the temple they were standing in front of. "I'll take care of the third one."

Mars climbed up the stairs and went up to the large bells on each side. It took a lot of strength to ring them since they were so heavy, but she succeeded.

Coming back downstairs she started searching for this third bell, which was nowhere to be found. It was dead silent in there. She wandered around for a while, leaving that temple and backtracking to where they came from, but no luck.

"Jadeite? Where are you?" she shouted.

No answer.

"Seriously Jadeite, I have no idea what to do now or where to go. Would you just tell me where you are?"

Still nothing.

 _Was he okay? He didn't fall off an edge, did he…?_

Mars got worried at the thought. She roamed around trying to find him, but there was not a living soul to be found anywhere. This creeped her out a little. If she didn't find him or the bell, she'd be trapped there forever.

"JADEITE?!"

"Everything okay down here?"

She turned and found him coming out from that temple they were just in.

"What the hell?! Didn't you hear me? Don't you ever scare me like that again!"

"Hear you? It's impossible to hear anything down here from the floor above."

"How did you get up there?"

He pointed to a chamber that led to an outside opening.

"What do you mean? There's nothing over there."

"There was a whirlwind I had to activate, but it shuts off after some time. But I rang the last bell up there, so we're good to go."

She went back inside and looked out to the next two towers in the distance, which now had bridges connecting them.

"Did the bells draw those bridges out?"

"That's precisely what they do, along with activating the portal."

"That makes sense then. I guess it's time to head over there?"

"That last tower is where our portal will be," he pointed out to the distance. "We'll just have to step through it and it'll send us home."

They crossed the bridges to the final tower. Mars took one last look out to the sky metropolis. It truly was the most phenomenal place she'd ever seen. And definitely an adventure she'd never forget. She turned back and looked up at Jadeite. The wind from outside lightly shook his short blonde hair and the lighting of the room just made him look… absolutely flawless. She caught herself blushing and looked away immediately. They both stared at the portal.

"So… I guess this is it?"

"This is it."

"Are you sure there's nothing else we need to do?"

"We have the orb; that's all we need." He looked back at her. "I enjoyed this. I'm really glad that you came."

She looked into his jade eyes and gave a smile. "Me too. Thanks for saving my life and protecting me… on multiple occasions."

He laughed. "Anytime."

After a few more moments, they finally stepped through.

* * *

A/N: Yes, I brought Avalar (from Spyro II) into this story like I did with my first SM fic. Just this one realm though. Recently playing through that level actually inspired this story in the first place… also Agent Zero is pure win.

A couple of quotes from the game were used. Not claiming them as my original writing.


	3. Rei's Story

A/N: Heads up: there will be a section of darker, more mature concepts and language in this chapter. Viewer discretion is advised.

* * *

"Usagi? Can you hear me?"

Mamoru held the orb tightly and stared intently into it, listening carefully.

"Usagi! It's Mamoru! Where are you?"

There were long moments of silence. Makoto looked over at Jadeite. "Are you sure this thing works?"

"Positive," he said. "Sometimes it just takes a minute to start up and get a response."

"Usagi!" Rei shouted. "We're all here trying to rescue you. I didn't risk my life in a fragile sky city for you to just ignore our call! Where are you?"

"R-Rei?" came a muffled voice.

"Usagi!" Mamoru gripped it even harder.

"How are you talking to me right now? Am I hallucinating?"

"No, we're using a magical orb. What happened to you? Where are you?"

"I'm… well…"

"Are you hurt?" Minako asked. "Do we need to call backup for this rescue?"

"No, not at all," she said. She started to become visible in the orb. Her surroundings looked dark and empty, almost like an alley.

"Well would you tell us where you are so we can come get you?" Rei grew impatient.

"I'm… in Windkeep."

"…Seriously?" came the group's response.

"Yes! Okay? Please don't hate me."

"Windkeep? Isn't that the fort that Chibi-usa built inside that opening in the alley behind my parents' diner?" Makoto asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Yes it is, and last week I came here to leave her a care package to make it a little more fun for her, but then this huge semi parked right in front of the entrance, so I've been trapped in here."

"You've been trapped in there for a whole week?!" Mamoru freaked out. "Why didn't you call anyone?"

"There's no service in here."

"Well how have you been surviving? You've been without food and water all this time!"

"Not exactly. I ate everything in the care package."

The group all sighed. "Oh Usagi… well, we're just glad that you're all right and weren't abducted or anything."

"That's great, now would somebody PLEASE come and get me out of here?"

"We'll be right there."

The group ventured downtown to the alley where the Windkeep fort was. There's no way Usagi or Mamoru would let Chibi-usa in there ever again after this.

The large semi was literally parked right in front of the entrance, and evidently hadn't moved all week. It was a strange parking job, no doubt.

"How are we gonna move this truck without destroying it?" Minako asked.

"With all of our strength combined, we should be able to push it a few inches, enough for Usagi to get out," Kunzite said.

The Shitennou and Mamoru went to the back and started pushing. Their strength alone seemed like it might suffice, but the Senshi got behind and started pushing too. The truck started to budge, slowly rolling away, though they were all struggling like crazy, wearing themselves out trying to get it to move even that much.

Usagi squeezed through the opening and ran up to hug Mamoru.

"Oh Mamo-chan… it was terrible. Please don't ever let me do anything this stupid again!"

"There's no way you could've seen this coming," he said as he held her. "This driver is terrible at parking."

"Thank you for coming for me!"

"Don't thank me," he said, looking up at the two heroes. "Thank Rei and Jadeite. They were the ones who teleported into the sky sanctuary and got the orb. Otherwise we never would've found you."

She turned to look at them. "You two… went… _together_?"

"Don't look at me like that!" Rei barked. "We were the only ones they'd let into their city! Otherwise blondie here would've taken Mamoru as his ally."

Jadeite looked over at her, saddened that she still seemed to loathe him so much. She hadn't even looked at him since they got back.

"Thank you," Usagi said. "Both of you."

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Rei was at home, doing homework alone since it wasn't one of the girls' weekly study nights. She had fallen behind on school due to all the recent distractions, so she would be spending the whole night catching up.

There was a knock on the door. Before she had time to utter a response, Yuuichirou swung the door open.

"Hey Rei! Studying hard? How about I keep you company for a while? You look lonely without your girlfriends here."

"No thanks. Please go away. I'm really not in the mood for this right now."

He sat down across from her. "How about I grab my guitar and play some soothing music while you study?"

"No."

"Bring you some cocoa?"

" _NO_."

"Sharpen your pencils?"

"Yuuichirou, _PLEASE!_ " she roared. "No means no! Now go away and _try_ to make yourself useful for once!"

He stood up and left the room, closing the door behind him. He was used to her bad tempers whenever he tried to hit on her, but this time it was especially bad.

She got back into the zone and started plowing through her homework. She was making progress, but still had a long way to go.

After a long while, there was another knock on the door. She groaned.

"Yuuichirou, I thought I told you to leave me alone!"

The door opened and Jadeite stood there calmly, looking at her with loving eyes.

She sighed. "What do you want?"

"I wanted to talk to you."

"No offense, but I'm insanely busy here. Can't really talk now."

"I won't stay long. I just wanted you ask y-"

"Hey, I said I'm busy!"

He sat down, still calm. He looked sad. "Why do you still resent me so much?"

She set the pen down. "Shouldn't that be obvious? Haven't we all been over this already?"

"I know you hate the monster that I was. But that's not who I am anymore. And I just thought…" he trailed off.

"You thought what?"

"I thought things changed when we were at Cloud Temples. We talked. We connected. When I pulled you back up when you fell over the edge, and when I held you on the whirlwind… I don't know, I thought you trusted me after that?"

"You saved my life and I thanked you for it. That doesn't make you the knight in shining armor who I'll just go running back to. You would've done that during the Silver Millennium too, but look what happened."

"Rei, I don't know what else I can do here. Please, tell me what you want from me."

"I want you to leave. I need to get back to my homework."

"Rei…"

"Leave now, please."

He stood up and started walking towards the door, before turning around and looking frustrated.

"You know, I may have said that I'll give you time and space, and I won't go back on that. But what you're doing now, it's not fair. The other three girls haven't even been this closed off. They've started opening up to the other Shitennou and are trying to move towards having relationships with them. You and I had an amazing adventure together, and tons of them in the previous life, might I add. And I saved your life. You _need_ to tell me: why do you hate me so much? Why don't you trust me?"

"It's not just _you_ who I don't trust, okay?"

"I know, you don't trust any of us."

"No, I mean I don't trust men!"

"But _why?_ "

She breathed out heavily, crossed her arms and looked away. Her eyes started to water through her pain and anger.

Jadeite noticed this and went over to sit down by her. He placed a hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes.

"Rei… please tell me why. Do at least that much for me."

They sat there for probably a half an hour in complete silence. Finally, she started to speak. She told him about growing up with her mother; about the men she would bring home; about all of the abuse.

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 _Rei hid in her room with the door locked. Again. She could hear them arguing downstairs, screaming at each other and breaking things._

 _"Get out of my house!"_

 _"Make me, bitch!"_

 _Her mother tried pushing him out with all her strength, but he was far more powerful. He shoved her down to the ground and started kicking her around._

 _All Rei could hear was screaming and wailing. She moved her desk in front of her door to make sure he wouldn't get in._

 _He was gone the next morning. Rei went downstairs and found her mother still asleep on the kitchen floor. She lied down next to her, gently waking her. Her mother stroked her daughter's hair and face, saying, "Rei darling… I want so much better for you. Don't end up like me. Promise me that. Don't trust men. They will all seem nice, but that all changes when you bring them home. Don't end up like this, lying broken on the kitchen floor. Promise me."_

 _Months later, one of her mother's ex-boyfriends barged into the house, demanding money that she supposedly owed him._

 _"I owe you nothing! Now get out or I'll call the police!"_

 _"I'm not leaving without my money! Fork it over!"_

 _They started fighting again. Breakables were shattered on the ground again. Rei heard her mom screaming in pain, and couldn't just sit in her room and do nothing. She ran out and entered the scene, angrier than ever._

 _"No! Stop! Leave her alone!"_

 _The man looked at her menacingly, walked over and smacked her in the face, so hard that she went flying. He walked over to her, prepared to continue._

 _Her mom cried out from the floor. "No, please! She's only eight! Leave her alone!"_

 _He turned back, pulled out a gun and shot her, and then proceeded to grab her purse and run out the door._

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Jadeite wanted to pull her into his arms and hold her, but knew she wouldn't want that. All he could do was try to find the right things to say.

"So that's why you moved here to the temple?"

She nodded.

"And that's why you get angry so easily? And why you feel like you can't trust men, because of what your mother said?"

She nodded again.

"Rei, I'm sorry… I had no idea."

"I'm not so traumatized anymore. I spent a lot of time in prayer over the years, and with time and persistence, God took that trauma away."

"That's amazing. I'm really glad. But if you were healed from that, why so many trust issues now?"

"The memories are still there. Just because I don't suffer through trauma or night terrors anymore, doesn't mean that I trust men. I don't want to experience anything like that again if I don't have to."

"I promise I'll never hurt you. I swear on my life."

"Doesn't matter."

"What does it take, then? What more can I do to help you trust me?"

She looked at the time. "Look, I've really gotta get back to work. You wanted the story, and you got it. Can you please leave now?"

"Rei, please…"

" _Now._ We're not buddies, and we're certainly not lovers. Stop pushing this!"

"I love you, Rei. I always will."

"Well good for you! Now please leave! Get out of my house! I don't want you here! There are only two men I will ever trust, and that's Mamoru and my grandfather. Nobody else. EVER."

With that, Jadeite left without a word, heartbroken.

Rei collapsed back to the floor, sobbing. She lied. She desperately wanted him to stay. But she couldn't.


	4. I Could Never

Mamoru and the Shitennou would often walk down to the local coffee shop to spend time together during the afternoons. After some time, Minako, Ami and Makoto would join them. They all enjoyed each other's company. Makoto and Ami had decided to just be friends with their former lovers for the time being, just easing into it all and using this time to get to know each other. Kunzite and Minako had started dating, but also intended to take it slow and not get too carried away too quickly.

Rei was the only one who would never join them. She would often see them leaving as she was walking home from school. They'd pass each other walking at times. She'd say a quick hi to her friends, avoid looking at Jadeite and the other three, and kept walking.

It took a lot of time and dedication, but she caught up on all her schoolwork and was even ahead of the game. She sat at home, not having anything to do or anyone to hang out with, knowing the Senshi were all with the Shitennou. She decided to go into the main temple and meditate for a while.

She sat in front of the fire and began to pray. It had been a long time since she did this. She had drifted over the last couple years, with the constant enemies to fight and people to save, in addition to everyday life. She felt ashamed for always making so many excuses.

" _Lord Jesus, forgive me for drifting… for not spending time with You or seeking You in far too long. Forgive me for always getting so angry and being selfish… I don't want to be a slave to my anger anymore. Thank You that You forgive me and are always waiting to take me back, if I would just… let You. If I would return to You. Lord, I ask that you strengthen and heal my heart again… this pain from the last couple months has been overwhelming. Please heal me like You did when I was thirteen. And I ask for guidance… I don't know what to do about Jadeite, but You do. Lord, show me what You want me to do."_

She stared into the fire for a long time, carefully listening for God to speak.

In the flames, she saw the words, "Forgive others as I have forgiven you."

Her heart shook. _Even if I forgive him, can I trust him_?

Again in the flames, words appeared. "So we can say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?'" [1]

She breathed out deeply, closing her eyes and praying again.

 _"I know that men can hurt me… but You're bigger than that._ "

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"Minako? What are you doing here?"

"I left my book here the other night." She went to the other side of the table and lifted a pillow to retrieve her textbook.

"Oh, you mean the one you've never even opened?"

"That's the one. It just helps having it out in class so my teacher thinks I'm actually reading it."

"Oi. You've spent way too much time with Usagi over the years. It's really shown."

"Oh, be quiet. I heard from Haruka that you were playing race cars at the arcade a little while ago. You're not so different from Usagi and me either."

"Okay, playing _one_ video game doesn't put me on the same level as you two!"

"Yeah, yeah."

Minako stood there with her book, not making any kind of movement towards the door.

"…Anything else?" Rei gave a puzzled look.

"How are you?"

"Um… fine. You…?"

"I never see you anymore other than the study nights. You never hang out with us."

"Yeah, because you're always with the Shitennou."

"Rei, you'll have to get over this trust issue eventually. They're really great guys, all four of them. And I think Jadeite really misses you."

"How about we _don't_ talk about Jadeite, okay?"

She raised her arms sarcastically. "As you wish."

"I still don't understand how you grew to trust Kunzite so quickly."

"He's a great guy and has proven it. He's so good to me. And Ami and Makoto trust their guys too; it's not just me."

"But why? What has he done to prove himself worthy of your trust?"

"I can see it in his eyes. They're honest. He's respected me more than anyone I've ever known. He gave me space when I wanted it. And now, he brings me flowers all the time, takes me out, acts like a total gentleman. Even though he doesn't always talk very much, he _listens_ to me. And I mean _really_ listens. He's so genuinely interested in getting to know me. He's made himself vulnerable to me ever since the day he faced me again. They all did."

"So he's chivalrous and is nice to you. So what? Any guy can put on that act. What about down the line? What if he turns on you again?"

"He won't do that."

"How do you know?"

Minako breathed out and looked up at the ceiling as she got lost in thought. "There's never any way to know anything for sure. That's just life. But if you constantly keep your guard up like that, you'll never be able to trust _anyone_. How do you know _I_ won't ever turn on you, or the others? Someone like Beryl could come along and steal us away, and then we'd be just like them, wouldn't we? But what kind of a life would it be to never trust people and never let yourself get close to anyone? A life without love isn't really a life worth living."

She looked back at Rei. "I know what your mother told you and that you hold onto her words with all your strength, but there has to be balance. Not all men are sick like that. I know Kunzite won't betray me because that's not who he is."

"He did it before."

"No. He was deceived by an excellent liar, and then she had her demons possess him and the others. It wasn't them."

Minako stood back up and walked towards her. "I wanted to give this to you," she handed her a folded up piece of paper. "I found it at Mamoru's place. Do with it what you wish, but I thought you should have it." And with that, she went out the door.

Rei stood there for a few more moments, staring at the ground and lost in her thoughts. She studied the paper in her hand, and slowly brought herself to open it.

 _My dearest Princess Mars,_

 _It was an unspeakable privilege to even get to see you again_

 _I just pray that you will someday see me for who I am_

 _Not a monster from the Negaverse,_

 _Not just another man looking to mess with your heart,_

 _But someone who would die for you_

 _You are the first and only person I've ever loved_

 _And the only one I would ever give my heart to_

 _Oh, what I would give to go back…_

 _Back to Prince Endymion's garden, where I could hold you in the moonlight_

 _When we would talk all night in endless banter, never growing weary_

 _Beautiful Rei, no matter what happens with us now,_

 _Know that I love you_

 _I would take a bullet for you in a heartbeat_

 _I just hope and pray that you'll be happy,_

 _Regardless of the decision you make_

 _-Jadeite_

Tears started spilling down her face and onto the paper. She remembered when he pulled her back up to the ledge in Cloud Temples, and how he almost fell down in doing so. How he was so willing to die in order to save her.

 _To lay your life down so that your loved one can live… that's what love means, doesn't it? He really does love me…_

 _Would I do the same thing for him?_

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Jadeite had been quiet lately, which was unusual. When in the appropriate circumstances, all of the Shitennou minus Kunzite are generally quite talkative.

Mamoru was on the living room couch watching some video of Lacey Sturm giving a speech. Jadeite quietly watched from behind.

She was giving her testimony, which was beautiful and incredibly profound. At one point, she started talking about how she used to hate men, and that made it hard to trust the man who stopped her when she was bolting out of church the day she planned to commit suicide at 16, until he proved himself to be honest and loving.

"…And I _hated_ men, because I had seen SO many men hurt my family. And my mom had always taught me to be cautious of guys, because they only want one thing. But I just want to apologize to all the men out there who have been hurt by a woman because of another man's crimes against her. And I want to thank my husband Josh for proving me wrong about men, every single day. And I thank God for being a better father to me than any earthly father ever could."

Rei was still in school at that time. But he suddenly felt the urge to go see her. He didn't know why or what to say, but he needed to see her.

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The last school bell rang. For the first time in a while, Rei didn't feel the urge to quickly bolt it home or go to the arcade to rage. She felt lighter, as if the weight of a burden had been lifted off a bit, though it wasn't completely gone yet.

She took her time walking out, looking around and appreciating the people around her, no longer feeling annoyed or envious of their happiness. Even the couples didn't bother her, which was rare.

Suddenly, she saw an unfortunately familiar face, coming towards her at a great velocity.

She groaned. "Yuuichirou, what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to accompany you on your walk home."

"What made you think that I'd want that?"

"You've kinda been a loner lately. It's been bringing people down. I thought I could help you be social again."

"Yuuichirou, you have no idea what you're talking about. Go home. I'll take my own route."

"Come on, Rei… I'll buy you a coffee on the way back?"

"GO HOME."

"I can help. What if I stay quiet the whole way back, but I carry your books for you?"

"I don't need your h-"

He grabbed the books out of her hands.

"Hey, give those back!"

Jadeite had borrowed Mamoru's car and pulled up to the parking lot of the school. He got out and wandered a little, finally catching sight of Rei… and some guy holding her books. They were walking his way.

"Yuuichirou, I swear, if you don't give those back RIGHT NOW, I'll pound you!"

"Just let me help, and you'll realize you like getting a little help now and then."

The way she was reaching for them looked flirty from an outside perspective. And that's just the perception Jadeite got.

Eventually Rei turned and saw him there. She gave up on the books and started walking over to him.

"Jadeite… what are you doing here?"

He looked upset. "You know what? I'm not sure what I'm doing here anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, Rei. I don't know why I kept my hopes up, thinking you'd change your mind someday. But here I am. I come out here like an idiot, and I find you with _him_ ," he motioned towards Yuuichirou.

"Jadeite, it's not like that. He's just a servant at our temple. He took my books and wouldn't give them back."

"It sure looked like more than that."

Yuuichirou dropped the books and raised his hands. "Whoa, dudes, I don't wanna get in the middle of... whatever this is." He headed home solo.

Jadeite exhaled deeply out of frustration and turned around to head back to the car. Rei went after him.

"Jadeite!"

"What?" he placed a hand on the car door handle, pausing for a moment but not turning around.

"Don't go."

"Why?"

She was quiet for a few seconds, mustering up the courage to say the next few words.

"Because I love you, idiot!"

He turned around slowly.

"What did you say?"

She breathed out. "I love you, okay?"

He moved closer.

"What changed?"

"Nothing changed. I always did. You respected me, you saved my life, you laid out your heart for me… you did everything… I just didn't want to act on my feelings…"

"But what changed that? Why did you change your mind?"

"…I heard from the Lord. He spoke to me through the flames. That helped me get over the mistrust. And also… I got your letter."

"You… what? How did-"

"Minako."

"Ah."

"So… do you still hate me for what I said to you back at the temple?"

"Hate you?" he moved in and put his arms around her. "I could never."

He leaned in and kissed her. Her first ever. She put her arms around him and reciprocated, enjoying every second.

"I love you, idiot. And I always will."

* * *

A/N: 1. Hebrews 13:6

Hashtag Gilmore Girls on this ending scene. But really tho lol. Highly inspired by the classic Rory/Dean scene.

Anyways. That's a wrap for my first Mars x Jadeite story. Inspired by Spyro (lol). I really struggled with capturing Jadeite's character, as I'm highly used to writing for Venus x Kunzite. Please leave feedback on how I can improve. It will really help me for the future.

Not sure if I'll write stories for the other two Senshi/Shitennou, but I'll definitely consider it if people request it. Just let me know~

Also, check out yeah-well-hey if you want to read more Sailor Moon stories. Best SM fics ever imo.

Disclaimer: I own nothing that was referenced in this story.


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